Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-06-18
MIR. POWDERLT and HIS KNIGHTS.

When il was known that a new and
been formed in this country, and that il
was growing into great and increasing pro-
portions, there was much apprehension,
| and il was reasonable for the labor move
ments of previous times had often been of
a turbulent character. and not only had the
public peace been disturbed and broken,
but precious blood had been shed. Labor
movements had come to means scarcely
more or other than strikes and lock-outs
which meant the paralyZing of industry,
disaster 10 capital and business, and priya-
| ton if not starvation to wOrkingmen and
their families.
But the Knights of Labor brought new
elements into industrial affairs. They had
at their head new kind of a labor leader
Mr.. Terrence V. Powderly, but his very
name il must be admitted, was suggestive
and prophetic of explosiveness and disaster.
Therefore, We took occasion, at an early
period, to ascertain something of the real
character and standing of this man with the
terrible name, and our information-from q
prominent citizen and republican of Scran-
ton, Pa was of a decidedly favorable
character. This Mr.. Powderly was a good
citizen, devout Christian of the Roman
Catholic persuasion, a man of head and
heart, who was SO fair and competent a
man that. although democrat, he was re-
peatedly elected mayor of Scranton by the
aid of republican votes.
Time passed on tas it always does and II
appeared that this new organization was sO
large and its methods So crude that it seemed
TO be unmanageablr, even by man with so
level head. 50 good heart. and SO much
executive ability. as Mr.. Pnwderly. There
Was disastrous and murderouS outbreak
in Missouri and the southwest Illegal. out
rageOus and unjusiitiahle- by
the local magnate of the Knights. Martin
irons-but in the course of time this out
break was pronounced Illegal from the
standpoint of the Knights and officially de
clared to be OFF. Then there was a murder
Gus outbreak. by alleged workingmen. al
Chicago but this outbreak was denounced
BY the Knights as well a. sll good citizens.
and the leaders are 10 be hanged al An early
dsy-the universal opinion Of all good citi-
Eens being thar the earlier the day. the bet
ter it will be Tor the cause OF Justice and
law and order.
That Mr.. PowdeTly and his Knights have
made some mistakes, does not need Ia be
said. They are human, and suffer from
the common limitations of humanity. That
there are some very good features which
prevail in the order. must be admitted by
all. Let il be said that the Knights, as a
body, are good citizens and are loyal 10 the
stars and Stripes" Their leader, Mr..
Powderly. denounces anarchy, communism
and the red flag. promptly and vigorously.
and does what he can TO promote good citi
zenshp in the ranks of his followers
Mr.. PoWderly and his knights have had
great temptation to fall into partisan poll
ties against the rules of their own order,
and the temptations are still strong. But
here in Springfield, as elsewhere. the
knights have found that political alliances
and partisan operations have not done
them or anyone else any good, and that
their efforts 10 defeat the only party that
has always and uniformly been the friend
of the oppressed iaborer whatever his
condition or color-and which has stOutly
protection TO American industry. have
not only been aimed against their best and
truest friends but have proved really dis
astrous to themselves.
Just here. it is proper to pay a Just and
deserved tribute to our local knights. We
have had no disturbances at all from the
knights, and in times of great public eX-
citement they have proved the conserv-
ators of the public peace. They have
proved in all respects good citizens. So
far as We know. they have only sought
redress at the ballot box for what they
have considered as wrongs; they carry the
STARS and stripes" al the head of their
professions, and they forbid the use of
liquors. and even beer, at their puplic |
meetings and professions. Indeed. the |
knights. as a body, are a great total alb !
stinence organization, if the character of |
the body is to be known from the utter !
ances OF their official head, Mr.. Powderly. |
who is taking rank with Francis Murphy |
as total abstinence apostle. The char |
acter of his public utterances may be seen
by this quotation from a speech recently |
made by him, in Boston:
Now. a word about the great curse of the |
labOring man-StrOng drink. Had | TO-.
000. 900 tongues, and a throat for each |
tongue. l would say to each man. woman. |
and child here tonight: Throw strong ,
drink aside as you would an ounce of liquid |
hell" 1t sears the conscience. II destroys
il touches. il reaches into the
family circle, and takes the wife you have
sworn TO protect and drags her down from
from her pinnacle of purity into that house
from which no decent woman ever goes
alive. 1t induces the father to take the
furniture from the house. exchange il for
money at the pawn shop, and spend the
proceeds in rum. Ii damnS everything il
touches. | have seen il in every city east
of the Mississippi. and | know that the
most damning curse TO the laborer is that
which gurgles from the neck of the bottle.
| had rather be at the bead OF an organiza-
ton having 100000 temperate, hon est,
earnest men, than at the head of an organ
lzation of IL, 900, 900 drinkers. whether mod
crate or any other kind.
That means total abstinence, by Knights
Of Labor, from all intoxicating drinks! But
Mr.. POwderly also urges the Knights To
quit the use of tobacco. Possibly from
any other and outside source, this sugges-
lion would have been impertinent. But let